tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88992992216195063312011-08-24T10:52:53.674-04:00Multicrafting from the heart, hands and computerStephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.comBlogger2981100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-13049910620441774102011-03-04T12:26:00.007-05:002011-03-04T12:48:31.183-05:00

Well, a lot of stuff has happened. First, I damaged my right thumb beyond belief on mandoline. Not the musical instrument, the kind you use to slice vegetables. Or your thumb. It was pretty awful. After a month, I can finally remove the bandage. My thumb has a different shape now. It still skeeves me out to think about it. The idea of handling lye any time soon is a sphincter-tightening notion.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-30453083980844414722010-11-26T19:11:00.004-05:002010-11-26T19:18:08.782-05:00

Just for fun I made the dearest little dollie for smay's wonderful Mavka. Introducing my newest little character, Ambrette!On the soapmaking front, I've got Winter Festival back in stock and a bunch of new ones coming soon for winter. I'm particularly happy about Pumpkin Lager and Oatmeal Stout soap.Our dear, dear Welsh Terrier, Taffy, died 3 months ago at the age of 10. All of us are still

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-3130909158382686472010-10-26T18:51:00.002-04:002010-10-26T18:53:58.492-04:00

Finally, after many months of hard work in completing this 3D morph and skin texture for Poser, my Ghislaine is in the store at Daz3D.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-91701262861363042862010-10-07T08:08:00.003-04:002010-10-07T08:16:06.083-04:00

My friend Lucie is an amazing digital artist. She had a very bad and, sadly, typical experience with a scrapbooker redistributing her original artwork without permission. You can read about her experience in her blog.The first paragraph is in French, but the rest is in English. It's a shame how low people can go to make a few pennies, without regard for taking money out of a real artist's

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-35985887859378587532010-09-23T10:35:00.002-04:002010-09-23T10:43:25.723-04:00

Three weeks ago our dear, 10 year old Welsh Terrier, Taffy, died. It pretty much knocked the stuffing out of me. We've taken it very hard. I'm gradually getting back to work.I took advantage of ArtFire's new promotion of a lifetime price of $5.95 per month, and opened Sea Sprite Soaps on ArtFire. I don't know why ArtFire doesn't get more traffic and sales, but they have some wonderful tools and

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-77427601201706476052010-07-23T08:20:00.003-04:002010-07-23T08:21:45.885-04:00

My Sea Glass soap is featured today in this beautiful Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water Treasury on Etsy.My baby girl is back home from New York. We are soooo happy. Unfortunately one of her hermit crabs died while she was gone, in our care. We are feeling very guilty about that.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-3106571432877318052010-07-21T09:58:00.004-04:002010-07-21T10:11:39.642-04:00

Our Vicky is coming home from her 2 week visit with her boyfriend on Long Island tomorrow. Yay! We've missed her so much. I haven't been to New York in many years, so it will be fun to get her perspective on it. She said she took over 300 pictures!Today I need to make a couple batches of soap. I am so far behind on getting my stock whipped into shape. I'm out of a bunch of stuff. There's only so

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-48605029085811000822010-07-13T09:28:00.002-04:002010-07-13T09:31:30.504-04:00

I'm very happy to announce that I've finally finished a Churidar Kameez outfit for my little Jamika for K4! It comes with 4 textures and has all of these Body morphs: Realistic, Thin, Heavy, Chibi and Dolly! It's designed for Jamika, but should fit almost any K4 character. Making this was a real learning experience. :)

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-86245868035666291492010-07-02T20:10:00.004-04:002010-07-02T20:13:49.227-04:00

I'm pleased to announce that my Jamika for K4 has been released at Daz3D.com! She comes with her own beautiful earrings with 20 materials.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-34383079861993981892010-07-02T10:46:00.001-04:002010-07-02T10:48:20.013-04:00

My Ocean Rain soap made the front page of Etsy today!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-25431083825436261932010-06-30T12:50:00.003-04:002010-06-30T12:54:32.871-04:00

My Sea Glass Handmade Soap is featured in an Amazing Soap Treasury today!Our 10 year old Welsh Terrier, Taffy, was limping terribly this morning. He had a tangle with a possum in the back yard last night, so I was afraid he'd been bitten. Took him to the vet, and $260 and X-rays later we found that he has arthritis in his feet and a twisted toe from his nails being too long. He must've got

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-54945872820590585612010-06-29T16:06:00.003-04:002010-06-29T18:23:05.485-04:00

One more of my Jamika, in Alicia hair from RDNA. :)

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-91908986466741786952010-06-27T17:20:00.004-04:002010-06-27T17:25:59.404-04:00

Mmmm...my kitchen smells amazing. I made a big batch of homemade sofrito, a la Daisy Martinez, so I can make Arroz con Pollo tonight. The frozen Goya sofrito is OK but making my own was a real eye opener, you just can't beat homemade.Both of my kids will be here for dinner tonight. We brought Vicky home Friday, and Geoff is joining us this evening. I love to cook knockout Mom Food for them. For

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-17666349787433947662010-06-22T11:05:00.005-04:002010-06-22T14:28:01.201-04:00

I am so thrilled to be featured on Babble, the comprehensive and fabulous site for moms online! I'm one of the 50 Best Etsy Moms!Things have been busy for me the last few weeks. My hosting service, which had been stellar for many years, suddenly began having a lot of down time. My SSL wasn't working properly. So I had to move to a new hosting service, one that has a lot of experience working with

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-32291993702980187972010-05-29T15:24:00.001-04:002010-05-29T15:27:33.678-04:00

My Ocean Rain handmade soap was featured in Inspirewire's blog today -- Thanks Bonnie!Geoff went to IKEA over in Fort Lauderdale yesterday and bought himself a whole living room full of furniture for about $600. It's for his apartment, which he moves into on the 1st. Last night we all gathered around in the living room while he unpacked the contents of one box and got out all his tools. We called

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-67065314445168975522010-05-27T08:25:00.002-04:002010-05-27T08:35:57.594-04:00

Hyperbole and a Half is excruciatingly funny!My son Geoffrey is moving into his own apartment on June 1st. The dorms and meal plans are very, very expensive and the kids hate the food. This way the rent is actually cheaper and he can cook real, healthier food for himself. Almost 20 and grown up much too fast. Because he's taking his bed with him, his room will be largely empty and any illusion

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-38027312142914338082010-05-14T20:45:00.005-04:002010-05-14T20:54:29.062-04:00

Well, I splurged on this new 12 bar Silicone Mold, which arrived yesterday. One of the things that make soapmakers crazy is having to line our molds so we can get the soap out. There are molds that claim you don't have to line them, but I've never found them as easy to use as they are supposed to be. So this bright bubblegum pink mold was filled to the brim today with Ambra Cioccolata soap.I had

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-11842883571002456552010-05-11T22:23:00.008-04:002010-05-11T22:42:04.933-04:00

One of the joys (not) of making realistic skin textures is making them seamless. The "skin" wraps around the 3D body and joins up the center of the head and back, under the neck, in a crooked line down the inside of the legs, where arms meet shoulders, and where the tops and bottoms of toes and fingers join.You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get rid of all those seams so that when someone

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-16708373048410374452010-05-09T13:36:00.002-04:002010-05-09T13:37:16.840-04:00

I bought the cutest little Merbabies outfit and now my Josie for K4 gets to be a mermaid. :D

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-45930445029265540302010-05-08T21:34:00.003-04:002010-05-08T21:41:05.488-04:00

Both my DH and I are crazy about the trio of books by the late Stieg Larsson: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. I was pleasantly shocked Friday to see that the first book had been made into a movie in Sweden, and it was playing at our local theater.I was, frankly, almost afraid to go to see the movie. I've been disappointed

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-24085910545135083532010-05-04T11:22:00.002-04:002010-05-04T11:26:01.916-04:00

I'm still working on Jamika's skin texture. I think she looks kind of like a young Rihanna here. :)

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-4597737891256486342010-05-02T10:28:00.001-04:002010-05-02T10:30:18.069-04:00

We have a big water lily pond in the back yard, it's where I stage most of my product photos. Yesterday the first water lily of the year appeared. It's such a beautiful pale, pale yellow with an intense yellow center. I couldn't resist taking a photo of it.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-60992778221744100612010-05-01T19:30:00.003-04:002010-05-01T19:37:37.559-04:00

One of the most glorious sights down here in spring is the blooming of Jacaranda trees. The bare branches are all covered with vivid purple flowers. It puts a smile on my face just to see them, just like when I see a Kingfisher bird sitting on a telephone wire. Sure signs of spring in South Florida.My son, Geoffrey, is home from college for the summer now. It is so good to have him home again. I

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-91521595917788289342010-04-29T11:29:00.003-04:002010-04-29T11:31:58.309-04:00

I'm working on a new Kid4 Poser character, tentatively named Jamika. Here's a peek at her portrait, and one of her in an adorable new Regency outfit. :)

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-31612493276315374652010-04-24T11:27:00.010-04:002010-04-24T11:45:03.775-04:00

The last month or so I've been working hard to get back into making and selling my 3D Poser characters. I'm happy to say that my Josie for the new Kids4 is complete and now available at Daz3D. Here's a couple peeks at Josie! :)OK, I can't resist one more of her as a little elf!I've already begun working on a new kid character, using photos of a Caribbean woman with the most gorgeous golden-toned

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-3130867618471342412010-03-15T20:03:00.002-04:002010-03-15T20:08:12.491-04:00

Things got very busy. First one kid was home for spring break, then the other kid. It's been fun having them here and cooking their favorite meals, going to the movies and beach with them, etc. But now both kids are back at college and we are back to our normal routines. A little boring, but comforting nevertheless.I'm back to trying to get my stock up again. I have a few new/revived soaps coming

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-38476187460365491522010-02-09T10:31:00.004-05:002010-02-09T10:41:30.392-05:00

I've been out of action online for a while, trying a couple of different things and returning to my Poser roots to start creating some more 3D characters.In the meantime, I've been doing lots of soaping too. Brand new in my shop today, hints of Spring with two fresh floral fragrances: Pink Carnation and Lavender Ginger. I wasn't going to bring back the Pink Carnation after I sold out the last

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-65002105752706128562010-01-15T05:38:00.002-05:002010-01-15T05:41:47.626-05:00

My Dragon's Blood soap was featured today in Barbed Lotus' Dragons to Keep gift guide. Thanks!It's still cold and dreary here, much more so than our usual winter weather. On top of that, I've got a lingering cold. It makes me not want to get out much. We're going to have an outing today to a new health food store, hopefully it will warm up some.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-40515108525924220862010-01-13T19:43:00.003-05:002010-01-14T08:52:36.127-05:00

The devastation in Haiti from the earthquake yesterday is reported to be "unimaginable." It's possible that tens of thousands have died in this tragedy. What can you and I do to help? Money is going to be needed desperately to provide food, clothing and shelter for survivors. I've just donated to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti organization. Other options are here.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-58939138953968080712010-01-12T11:08:00.005-05:002010-01-12T11:22:46.450-05:00

This is starting to happen more and more lately, and it's really getting to me. Yesterday someone notified me that a new shop on Etsy had used one of my product photos. I went and checked it out. Sure enough, there was my Blood Orange Patchouli photo on a listing for someone selling $75 worth of shea butter soap. Now who on earth opens a new shop and on their very first listing uses a stolen

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-36034926960609041112010-01-09T20:05:00.003-05:002010-01-09T20:09:32.054-05:00

Both of our kids have gone back to college. Sniff. After a whole month at home, eating together, watching movies, going out and generally having lots of time for talking, it's hard to have it over so quickly. It's going to take me a while to get back to a quieter and somewhat duller life without our kids at home.It's been cold and rainy for a week now. Today it never got up over 39 degrees and

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-27485123960197876652010-01-06T10:02:00.003-05:002010-01-06T10:06:51.765-05:00

I got the cutest little doll pattern from OhSewDollin on Etsy, and just had to make it for my husband's granddaughter. I had so much fun picking out the matching fabrics for her dress, bloomers and legs. The pattern calls for button eyes, but since little Sofia is only 1 year old, I cut out black felt circles and stitched them on instead.I'm so happy with how this turned out. Years ago when Vicky

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-86936485398620648662010-01-01T14:14:00.002-05:002010-01-01T14:16:09.012-05:00

I'm just chilling, enjoying the rainy, gray, slow-paced start of a new year. I've been playing with Poser this morning, working on a new character for Aiko.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-38416746692412918762009-12-31T08:22:00.001-05:002009-12-31T08:23:40.290-05:00

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-13516493666286391152009-12-23T11:55:00.003-05:002009-12-23T11:59:26.499-05:00

Geoff and I went to see "Avatar" yesterday afternoon. I can't find enough superlatives or even the words to describe how magical and awesome it was. The 3D and live action parts are blended seamlessly. You really care about these beautiful people and their world. I am a sucker for stories about second chances and redemption, so it was my kind of movie. I was so caught up in it, I barely noticed

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-74827028351158155842009-12-18T17:16:00.003-05:002009-12-18T17:19:34.373-05:00

My Rose Luxury Lip Balm was featured in Pink Dandy Chatter's blog -- Thanks Jenae!OMG I'm out of almost everything. Between Etsy and my domain shop, plus a few local accounts that re-sell my soap, I'm running on empty. I'm going to have to do sooooo much soaping after the holidays.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-76359222354392735472009-12-15T15:34:00.003-05:002009-12-15T15:36:40.506-05:00

Both of our kids have been home from university for a week now, and I've been so busy that I've not done any soaping at all. But I'm very happy! Also out of almost everything, so eventually I'm going to have to get back to work. A few that I ran out of are back in stock now, including Caribbean Dreams, Blood Orange Patchouli and Calabrian Violet & Bergamot.Bags and Buds was kind enough to include

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-25304236783951118232009-12-04T09:54:00.003-05:002009-12-04T16:53:43.336-05:00

New in my Etsy shop today, Sea Witch Handmade Soap -- A mysterious intriguing fragrance blend of Patchouli, Cinnamon and Cedar. Also available in my Sea Sprite Soaps shop too.I'm pretty excited about the end of the semester, which is almost here. Vicky gets to come home from USF next Wednesday, and Geoff will be home from FGCU by 12/13. Then we get to have them home until the end of the year. Yay

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-87786803256941523422009-12-03T14:03:00.006-05:002009-12-03T14:07:53.661-05:00

I made one of these for my daughter, and it's so cute I made another one to sell at a yearly charity auction I participate in. This is ridiculously adorable, I think. It's made from a pattern in the "Mr. Funky's Super Wonderful" crochet book.Every once in a while I get lazy and don't make soap for a week or so. Obviously right before the holidays is not a good time to **** off, but I did. I am

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-13110432497729156422009-11-22T14:15:00.002-05:002009-11-22T19:21:15.313-05:00

Last night I got enough orders on Etsy to bump me up to 2001 sales! That's pretty exciting. To celebrate, I blew a few bucks on this little dollie, Cookie, and her faery costume.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-65379821188212981912009-11-21T06:47:00.001-05:002009-11-21T06:51:05.426-05:00

I'm closing in on 2,000 Etsy sales! Maybe this weekend the numbers will jump. :DBoth of my kids will be home for Thanksgiving beginning Tuesday night. I can't wait! This year I'm going to let Publix make the turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy. I'm going to make a pumpkin cake with maple cream cheese frosting instead of the usual pumpkin pie. And of course, the side dishes everyone has to

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-68961609170219001732009-11-17T09:14:00.003-05:002009-11-17T09:43:30.453-05:00

First, let me mention that from now through the end of the holidays, all of my Soap Trios and Soap Bonanzas come with a free mini lip balm!Back in stock with a new look, Ocean Rain Handmade Soap (also available in my Etsy shop). I made it blue with green swirls and I like this look much better. It smells so fresh and crisp and clean.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-50466365184787625192009-11-16T14:52:00.003-05:002009-11-16T14:55:40.319-05:00

My daughter went to a 3 day music festival this past weekend in North Florida. She had so much fun, and told me about a crocheted water bottle holder she'd seen there but didn't buy. So I decided to surprise her and make one for her. I'm going to send this up to USF tomorrow. I love this colorful variegated yarn.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-46545457319314841692009-11-09T14:02:00.003-05:002009-11-09T14:06:15.548-05:00

I finished reading "Wolf Hall" last night and wow! That is some book. The usual comparisons of Cromwell to More are biased toward More being the kind, gentle cleric, but this book turns it all around. I really loved it. If you adore the Tudor era and the whole Anne Boleyn drama, you'd love this book. I just packed it up and mailed it to my aunt and cousin in England, who put dibs on it after I'd

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-89857416875750311372009-11-04T13:41:00.003-05:002009-11-04T13:44:30.840-05:00

This is why I spent several days re-downloading everything for Poser. I made a couple of fun renders with Sadie Fae today. I think she is too freaking cute!My copy of "Wolf Hall" by Hilary Mantel finally arrived the other day and I've been reading it at night. I'm restraining myself not to just gobble up the whole book in one sitting -- hard to do since it's 500+ pages anyway. But I want to savor

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-33248052834293992182009-11-02T12:44:00.002-05:002009-11-02T12:59:28.676-05:00

Argh, I realized this weekend that I still hadn't re-installed Poser on my new computer. This is a huge program with a lot of content, so it's not a trivial matter. Then I discovered that somehow I had lost the backup copy of my most recent upgrade and went through hundreds of backup DVD's to no avail. And the DVD with all my content from Daz3D was corrupted.So I spent roughly 48 hours

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-831252285373824682009-10-31T12:30:00.001-04:002009-10-31T12:32:39.161-04:00

Here's a little Happy Halloween image I made a while back with one of my 3D characters, Gothilina! Happy trick or treating!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-84831387715784579602009-10-27T18:51:00.003-04:002009-10-27T19:50:08.249-04:00

I got a big shipment of fragrance oils today and most of them are tried and true, the ones that sell well year in, year out. But I can't resist trying new ones and today I got the most incredible Lavender Ginger blend. It's so awesome, perfect for people who love lavender and even those who don't, because the lavender is barely there, just enough to soften the zip of the ginger. I can't wait to

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-75672744035728119822009-10-26T10:17:00.004-04:002009-10-26T10:24:15.317-04:00

I was busy taking photos with my new light box setup yesterday so I could get new goodies into my shop. I finally got ahold of a huge box of the cutest little mini lip balm tubes, so my first product with them is my Flower Balm Minis -- My Luxury Lip Balm flavored in Rose, Violet and Lavender Vanilla, packaged with a little cello bag and shiny bow, perfect for gift giving. It's here in my shop or

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-11552160377115911012009-10-20T12:56:00.001-04:002009-10-20T12:59:08.798-04:00

New in my shop today, Mabel's Mint Sugar Cookie Handmade Soap! It's a nice warm bakery scent and the mint is delicate, not eye-watering. Think of a sugar cookie right out of the oven. Mmmm.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-25761529632424216202009-10-18T15:04:00.002-04:002009-10-18T15:06:46.448-04:00

I've just returned from 3 days North Carolina. My sister died, unexpectedly. She was only 58. I hope I was of some use to my nephew, helping to sort through things. It's going to be hard to realize I'll never see her again.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-7440487264720521342009-10-13T10:52:00.004-04:002009-10-13T10:57:06.612-04:00

Well, it's kind of a homely, speckled brown bar, but the fragrance of my Cozy Christmas handmade soap is amazing -- A deliciously complex blend of rum, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate. Mmmm. It makes me yearn for a mug of something wonderful and a rocking chair in front of a fireplace.One of the things about making soap that I don't like is cleaning up after I remove the soap from the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-83703757269735220472009-10-12T20:54:00.001-04:002009-10-12T20:56:10.922-04:00

No kidding, I've been trying to make a treasury for two years now and tonight I finally got my chance! Check out the beautiful, briney brushwork in Mermaid Dreams! There are some really amazing artists on Etsy.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-79780222899156375182009-10-11T09:25:00.002-04:002009-10-11T09:30:31.159-04:00

This new soap smells sooo good, bright citrus and deep conifers in a lively, wintry blend! Check out Winter Festival, also in my Etsy shop here.We drove up to Tampa to have lunch with Vicky the other day. It was so nice to get to spend some time with her, since she hasn't been home for a couple of weekends. She got a job at a whole foods grocery store and will start working there soon. She wants

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-81456043385915053342009-10-06T16:24:00.004-04:002009-10-06T19:57:53.759-04:00

New in my shop today, sweetly exotic and luscious Patchouli Raspberry soap! It's also available in my Etsy shop here.We had quite a scare yesterday. Vicky attends USF in Tampa, where there were reports of a man with a bomb and a gun, and another guy with a knife around the library. The entire school was in lockdown for 3 hours. Fortunately, the school sent text messages to all the students and

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-16568534994001008742009-10-02T12:30:00.003-04:002009-10-02T12:37:21.332-04:00

I think this is too freaking cute for words -- A crocheted duckie bath mitt! I got the pattern from one of my favorite sites, Annie's Attic. It doesn't have a thingie for the thumb, but there are little pouches on both sides for your fingers to get a grip.Last week I made some cute little soaps in a seashell candy mold. I thought I might give them away with big orders over the holidays. Then I

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-73666722994526648632009-09-29T15:48:00.002-04:002009-09-29T15:52:49.394-04:00

Just because it's the end of the month, I was thinking I might not get called for jury duty. But last night when I called in to check, I was told to report at 8 am this morning. In Fort Myers, which is a good hour's drive from here. So I dragged myself out of bed at 6:30, got ready, and drove up there.Just as I'd suspected, no one wants a psychologist on their jury. Not the defendant, and not the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-25619158505673844902009-09-26T12:18:00.003-04:002009-09-26T12:24:38.683-04:00

Back in stock after a summer hiatus, my Winter Grapefruit (below) and Tassie Lavender handmade soaps! As always, they are also available in my Etsy shop. I love the smell of Winter Grapefruit, it smells juniper-ish, like a drink!I made some little seashell soaps from candy molds the other day, just an experiment to see if it would work. They are indeed adorable, and they popped right out of the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-8708080727221334642009-09-22T09:39:00.002-04:002009-09-22T09:45:33.982-04:00

I'm such a sucker for good fragrance oil descriptions. I recently found a new supplier who has some amazing fragrances with such poetic names. I splurged on Guinevere's Attraction, Winter Festival, Dark Knight, Thieves and Raspberry Patchouli. I made the last one yesterday and will unmold it this morning. It smells soooo good. I get weak in the knees over patchouli anyway, and you add some

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-27006209323082266122009-09-21T12:38:00.006-04:002009-09-22T09:39:08.095-04:00

Back in stock in my shop, Mango Tango handmade soap! This stuff smells amazing. Also available in my Etsy shop here.Both kids were home for the weekend, and it was so much fun to have them here. Well, maybe not so much fun for Geoff, who is finally recovering from swine flu. Just what you want to happen to your kid during his first month away from home at college! He was pretty miserable for a

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-83101005334785393392009-09-18T09:22:00.003-04:002009-09-18T09:25:30.998-04:00

Read this. I see products all over the internet, including on Etsy, actually bragging about "no preservatives." If you're going to make and sell B&B products that contain water, you must use a preservative. Especially if you're telling people it's OK to slather the stuff on children.P.S. Vitamin E and other antioxidants are not preservatives.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-21450923556321246142009-09-15T10:48:00.003-04:002009-09-15T10:51:55.198-04:00

Another new one in my shop today, Tahitian Petals! This is a very soft, delicate fragrance perfect for people who love a subtle soap, one that doesn't hit you over the head with scent. Also available in my Etsy shop here.This Saturday is Vicky's birthday, so we will have both kids home for the weekend. Yay! I'm going out birthday present shopping today. A little retail therapy always cheers me up.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-16171767897003542222009-09-14T10:34:00.005-04:002009-09-14T18:43:39.524-04:00

Something new to list today -- Scheherezade handmade cold process soap! It's also listed in my Etsy shop here. It's an innocent-looking ivory bar, but the scent is downright sensual.I'm still getting used to my new computer (a Gateway SX2800) and re-installing programs and files. Every day I find something that I need to install, like WinZIP or WS-FTP and like that. It was a good opportunity,

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-23815368119242736472009-09-13T12:07:00.008-04:002009-09-13T12:34:14.874-04:00

These thieves make me sick to my stomach. They love to blog and talk about how they "create" things, but they don't create anything. They buy (or steal through illegal file sharing) the work of genuinely talented people who take weeks or months to digitally paint beautiful objects, then think they own these products and can use them any way they like. They take someone else's work, repackage it

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-23791652545174473592009-09-07T11:37:00.005-04:002009-09-07T11:46:33.824-04:00

I was kvetching about the cost of getting new soap dishes and having them shipped here. I like to have them on hand because I give away with larger orders, and sometimes just for the hell of it I'll tuck one into an order. So my DH went to Lowe's and got a 6' length of Western Cedar and made 18 of these beauties for me!Aren't they pretty? Saved me a ton of money too! :DBoth kids are home for the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-56304661427455276232009-09-02T18:37:00.003-04:002009-09-02T18:45:17.593-04:00

I swear it has. In the last year I have finally felt like I can cook just about anything, thanks to watching way too much Food Network. Tonight I made a totally vegetarian, gourmet meal that was out of this world. I made a spinach salad with crispy prosciutto, red onions and orange sections with an orange vinaigrette (thanks Giada!). Then I used my organic baking mix from MaryJane's Farm to make

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-51420233107302115302009-09-01T09:46:00.007-04:002009-09-01T10:31:26.969-04:00

We were so happy to have Geoff come home for the past weekend. I miss him terribly after 10 days at FGCU. I have never not seen him for more than a day. I spoiled him shamelessly with lots of his favorite foods and it was fun to just sit around and talk. One thing I made this weekend that turned out so good I gave most of it to various neighbors so I wouldn't be tempted to eat it all -- the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-76886154493715837212009-08-24T16:51:00.004-04:002009-08-24T16:56:09.641-04:00

This is really clever, if you use Firefox and want to dress it up a bit with colorful "skins." You can get Personas for your browser! I have a colorful Japanese tattoo across the top of mine now. You can get directions on how to make your own, too. I might try making one, just for fun.I made Calabrian Violet & Bergamot and Scheherezade soap today. I love swirling colors and the first one has

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-81877630253393908492009-08-23T19:42:00.003-04:002009-08-23T19:57:48.186-04:00

I've mentioned before that my son, Geoff, is starting at FGCU next week. He's already moved into his dorm and just waiting to start classes tomorrow. He and all of the other incoming freshmen had a summer reading assignment: "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. The book describes Mortenson's 15+ years dedicating himself to building schools for children in the most remote, mountainous areas of

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-43764308959165303222009-08-17T19:24:00.003-04:002009-08-17T19:27:40.159-04:00

I was really pleased to see that Downtime featured a number of my soaps in her Squidoo Lens Etsy artists love the beach! Thanks!Tomorrow is the kids' last day of summer vacation. Wednesday we take Vicky to Tampa, then Geoff moves into his dorm on Thursday. I'm not liking this very much. :(

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-14441959661259245012009-08-14T10:24:00.003-04:002009-08-14T10:29:00.573-04:00

New in my shop today, Ocean Rain soap! It's really hard to describe the fragrance, but it does actually smell fresh and clean and ozone-ish, like rain on seawater.Less than a week to go before Geoff moves into the dorms at FGCU. Next day, he's going to help us move Vicky back into her USF dorm. Then it's going to be just me and Lowell at home. Sniff.One thing we will be trying when we're on our

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-51530696400830720552009-08-12T14:25:00.002-04:002009-08-12T14:27:07.211-04:00

I was lucky that my Rosemary Mint Heel Butter was featured in this Treasury today! Check it out, there's the cutest thumbnail in there for a baby sleeping in a big basket, totally zonked out with his arm hanging out of the basket! Too cute.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-59207151448660626092009-08-10T18:59:00.003-04:002009-08-10T19:02:15.244-04:00

I've always wanted a bundt pain, but couldn't bring myself to spend money on it. But the Neelys on Food Network made a chocolate bundt cake Saturday that looked so delicious, I couldn't put it off anymore. I actually ended up making this recipe, which is absolutely divine and has a smidge of expresso powder and cardamom in it. The recipe forgets to mention that you need chocolate in the

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-78350751166800398712009-08-08T10:14:00.005-04:002009-08-08T10:29:04.889-04:00

This is the first family photo we've had for a long while, taken around the new year on our last visit to Miami. From L to R it's Lowell's granddaughter's husband, his granddaughter, Lowell, me (striped shirt), Geoff, Vicky, Lowell's grandson and his daughter.I ordered a big, 10 lb. box of MaryJane's Farm's baking mix. I love the stuff! But it's reeeeeally big. Keeping little critters and ants

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-40611725883341572702009-08-04T14:53:00.003-04:002009-08-04T15:00:44.187-04:00

I've reached a milestone of sorts on Etsy -- 1800 sales! It's very gratifying to see that number.New in my shop: Lolita Lemicka and Beach Handmade Soap! These are also available in my Sea Sprite Soaps shop.Coming soon: Ocean Rain, Sandalwood Rose and Caribbean Coconut.In a little over two weeks, Vicky goes back to USF and Geoff begins as a freshman at FGCU. The summer has gone by too quickly. The

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-73346043643355607742009-07-29T10:39:00.007-04:002009-07-29T11:05:35.825-04:00

I think it's important for crafters who sell their work to have a clear picture of what their goals are, especially how hard they want to work and how much time they have to devote to making products. I see a bias in many crafting forums that everyone should be dying to wholesale their products and try to get them into brick and mortar stores.That option doesn't interest me. It's way more work

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-5942412099061792032009-07-23T13:43:00.003-04:002009-07-23T13:52:44.285-04:00

I added Dreamcatcher Soap to my shop today. It's hard to describe, but it smells ethereal and wonderful. It's also available in my Etsy shop.I thought it was kind of funny that Jon Stewart is America's most trusted news reporter, given that his is a comedy show.A month from today both of our kids will be in college, Vicky back at USF and Geoff away from home for the first time at FGCU. I don't

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-40894745583203788762009-07-20T19:21:00.003-04:002009-07-20T19:27:32.704-04:00

My Soap Bonanza is in this Very Colorful Treasury today -- if you get a chance, give the treasury some love!Vicky and I went to see "Harry Potter" this weekend and it was wonderful! It's such a pleasure to see how the kids in the movies have grown up and become really good actors. It's going to be hard to wait for the last two, now.I made a really lovely new soap recently, a beautiful duplicate

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-49967069668028490332009-07-17T12:48:00.003-04:002009-07-17T12:51:06.931-04:00

I've discovered an awesome, cheap and green packaging material -- end rolls of blank newsprint. My local newspaper sells these for $5 a roll. Each roll is about 4' across and usually there's around 100 yards of so of paper on them. What a bargain! It makes me feel better than using bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts to cushion my packages.An online friend of mine of 13 years lost her husband to

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-1627082636136001692009-07-15T11:04:00.005-04:002009-07-17T12:47:49.400-04:00

I love it when the UPS guy arrives -- that means new fragrances to soap! Yesterday I got two big boxes of stuff and spent a while happily opening and sniffing bottles. One that really has me jacked up is a duplicate of "Lolita Lemicka." It is an exact dupe and smells absolutely wonderful. I might soap it, but I might also keep it to make perfume for myself or a private stash. It's amazing.I've

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-33410690606381799262009-07-14T11:51:00.004-04:002009-07-14T11:55:46.997-04:00

I did this portrait render of my little sea sprite this morning. When I'm not making soap, I'm making 3D characters for a program called "Poser." It's a great program that lets you move your characters in 3D and render or "take pictures" of them from any view. Loads of fun but a very expensive way to make pretty pictures. :DBe sure to click to see it full size, it looks way better that way.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-65150086990819955892009-07-13T09:15:00.006-04:002009-07-13T11:22:29.480-04:00

New today in my shop, Tibetan Tea -- Mysterious and warm and exotic, like a blend of incense and Chai tea! And back in stock, my Sanibel Sunset and Plumeria soaps! Sometimes it's really hard to wait a month for the soap to cure. I have got to start making bigger batches!I can't believe how much time I've been spending watching FN lately. I was so happy to see the return of Daisy Martinez on

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-35404609104688142242009-07-12T10:40:00.003-04:002009-07-12T11:17:26.371-04:00

I'm having a lazy day. Up for breakfast, coffee and reading the paper. Back to bed cuddling with Taffy, the Welsh Terrier, for a snooze. Up again and reading forums. I know I need to make some Caribbean Dreams soap, but I am having trouble marshalling my energy.I went to a forum today where about the millionth (is that a word?) person started a thread asking how Etsy compares to ArtFire. And I'm

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-85250830142691260672009-07-10T18:15:00.004-04:002009-07-10T18:23:04.331-04:00

I was wondering what happened today when I got a bunch of sales, after a slow-ish kind of week. One of my favorite Etsy people (thanks Liz!) took a screen shot for me of my Macapuno Sorbet soap on the front page of Etsy. And someone else just told me that my Mango Tango was on the front page this morning. Wow, talk about feast or famine....Yay!

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-40614821577991760102009-07-09T13:08:00.005-04:002009-07-09T13:14:52.138-04:00

These were just so vivid and colorful this morning, I had to take some photos of them. We have bromeliads planted all over the back yard. They grow in shady spots and the inflorescences last for weeks. They are a welcome spot of color in all the shadiness. I took one closeup of the pink so you can see the awesome dusty color; it's part of a cluster of 3. :)I spent the morning in the pleasant,

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-85344853983287219862009-07-08T15:48:00.003-04:002009-07-08T15:53:21.956-04:00

to me! It's my big day. The kids baked me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing and sprinkles, and we're doing takeout from Carrabba's. I got a new food processor from Lowell, pretty kitchen stuff from Vicky and an Amazon.com gift card from Geoff. Another great birthday present: Today I reached 1,700 sales on Etsy! Yay!We went to the onocologist today and it sounds like all my DH will need is

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-16281806039012910062009-07-07T21:36:00.003-04:002009-07-07T21:45:42.887-04:00

My Sea Glass soap was featured in this Beach Time Treasury today! :)I've really got to stop watching so much Food Network. I'm hooked on the "Next FN Star" show and am rooting for Debbie and Melissa. And I keep haunting the recipes section and making amazing stuff. Last night I made chicken pounded out thin, then rolled up into pinwheels with prosciutto, spinach with garlic and goat cheese,

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-32192260039281544532009-07-06T10:46:00.003-04:002009-07-06T10:48:56.516-04:00

Today is my shop's second Etsyversary! :DAll the flowers I planted a few days have already started taking off. It's been over 90 degrees with torrential downpours every afternoon, perfect for the flowers. Bad for the herbs, which tend to bolt when they grow so fast. I've given up on coriander, it tends to go to seed so fast around here.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-68932064608049932382009-07-04T12:10:00.007-04:002009-07-04T12:27:24.439-04:00

Happy 4th of July!We're not doing any big cookouts or anything today, for the first time. The kids are going to be out with friends today, boating and barbecuing. So we're having leftovers and a nice, sedate trip to the bookstore later to use our 30% off coupons. My DH is recovering from the surgery two weeks ago and short outings are the best we can manage for a while.I'm late getting my summer

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-66993378596178262772009-07-02T10:54:00.002-04:002009-07-02T10:57:51.798-04:00

I've just realized that on July 6th, I'll have been selling on Etsy for two years! It doesn't seem that long, honestly. I've been making soap for almost 10 years, and that doesn't seem like so long to me either. I guess it's true, if you love what you're doing, the time flies by.I've got some recently made soap next to me on the curing rack and the fragrance is unbelievable. It's called Tibetan

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-16223826200390067952009-06-30T19:15:00.003-04:002009-06-30T19:30:02.335-04:00

Recently I began subscribing to MaryJane's Farm magazine. It's a really wonderful combination of information and values about eating organic, seasonal foods, old fashioned thrift, respect for the environment, feminism and glam. Mary Jane Butters, who runs her own farm and is now a publishing phenomenon, has branded herself as a Farm Girl type of Martha Stewart. She sells everything she writes

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-13078139004844019532009-06-27T10:17:00.002-04:002009-06-27T10:20:15.657-04:00

Back in stock, two of my beautiful, fragrant and lusciously lathering handmade soaps, Dragon's Blood and Celtic Moonspice.I spent some time yesterday figuring out Google Base. I had already signed up for Google Analytics, but found out yesterday I'd used a manual upload system which I promptly forgot about and so nothing had been added to my account for almost a year. Sigh. Now I have Google Base

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-87435937273734886342009-06-26T14:36:00.005-04:002009-06-26T14:43:27.571-04:00

Today is the first day in weeks that I haven't had to run around and be somewhere at a certain time. On top of that, it's been raining hard. We really need the rain so it's wonderful. And it's the perfect day for napping, which I've been doing with a vengeance.The big beautiful lotus flower bud finally started opening in our backyard lily pond. It's the most delicate, fluffy flower, pink and

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-52061553316166558072009-06-25T10:42:00.002-04:002009-06-25T10:47:18.128-04:00

I got Geoffrey through his new student orientation at FGCU on Monday and Tuesday, walking miles (it seemed) in the broiling sun with a heat index of 104 degrees. In between walking from information sessions, I drove home to check on Lowell and make sure he was OK. He seems to be recovering well and the worst thing he's experiencing is, believe it or not, back spasms. His massage therapist made a

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-49719677831054779782009-06-19T09:50:00.005-04:002009-06-19T21:48:29.323-04:00

New in my Etsy shop this morning, Sea Glass Handmade Soap! This soap has such a beautiful fragrance but it's hard to describe -- like that fresh, clean ozone smell of the shore, combined with seaside flowers and woods and a slight tangy citrus. It's been one of my favorites for years. I've added here it to my Sea Sprite Soaps shop today too. When it was time to take a photo of this, I was so glad

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-19413828103262187282009-06-18T21:19:00.006-04:002009-06-18T21:25:11.945-04:00

My DH had his surgery yesterday. Today the path results came in, looks like they got it all and there was nothing showing up in the lymph nodes they took out nearby, suggesting that the cancer hadn't spread. Within two hours of the surgery's completion, he was in a room and talking to us. It is such a relief to see him alert and responsive. This morning they had him up and walking around. It

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-7405178883993097122009-06-13T10:04:00.004-04:002009-06-13T16:44:18.244-04:00

Today I marked down my Tangerine Lavender Handmade Soap to $3.00 per bar. I'm clearing stuff out to make room for new soaps. And new in my shop today is Sanibel Sunset handmade soap.My Lemon Verbena soap made it into this Summer Days Treasury!I'm feeling the urge to crochet something today. I don't know what. Maybe some cute, colorful little soap savers or a wash cloth for a freebie with larger

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-80906888162874228032009-06-12T19:32:00.002-04:002009-06-12T19:33:57.094-04:00

My Wild Honeysuckle soap was featured in this beautiful Pink Treasury today!My DH cooked tonight and it was sooo good -- Barbecued chicken marinated in Mojo Criollo, sweet fresh corn, baked beans and salad. Good, hearty basic food. Not only that, he cleaned up the kitchen afterward when it was really my turn. I'm a lucky girl. :)

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-86221766732096876332009-06-11T16:06:00.004-04:002009-06-11T16:08:40.645-04:00

I was in a co-op to get a bunch of these adorable little lip balm tubes for samples and freebies to send out with orders. These are only about 1.5 inches tall and pretty fiddly to label. But they are just so damn cute!Not much is happening around here right now. We are trying to rest and eat well and get my DH ready for his surgery next week.

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8899299221619506331.post-2543977197011410552009-06-10T13:50:00.003-04:002009-06-10T14:00:29.227-04:00

You've probably received one of these if you've been on Etsy for very long. A new person with no feedback, Profile, shop, etc. wrote me a big long convo to "educate" me about something I already know about. The person assumed (always a big mistake) that I don't know very much about the ingredients I use and that they were scoring moral victory points for pointing out how wrong I am about my

Stephaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13526925709821652231noreply@blogger.com1